


Telling the Johnsons

by grrriliketigers



Category: Major Crimes (TV), The Closer
Genre: Committed Relationship, Committed threesome, F/F, F/M, Meet the Family, Multi, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-08
Packaged: 2018-03-29 13:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3898450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grrriliketigers/pseuds/grrriliketigers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Brenda's parents unexpectedly announce they're coming into town Brenda decides to bite the bullet and tell her parents that she and Fritz love Sharon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling the Johnsons

**Author's Note:**

> This is in the same 'verse as my A Proper Vacation fic from last year's fic fest

“Yes, mama.” Brenda sighed into the phone as she crossed the threshold of the house. “Oh, really?”

She locked eyes with her companions and tilted the receiver away from her mouth and rolled her eyes dramatically. “Of course, mama.” She said indulgently as she crossed toward the kitchen. She stopped abruptly and asked, “Friday? _This_ Friday?” 

She chuckled nervously, “of course not… why would that be a problem?” Then said quickly, “well, we’ll see you then. Give my love to everyone. Bye mama.” She stopped the phone to the side table in frustration. 

“Would I be correct in assuming that your parents are planning on visiting _this_ Friday?” Fritz raised his eyebrows. 

Brenda smiled sheepishly. “Apparently.”

The trip was quiet for a few minutes as they absorbed the information. 

Sharon cleared her throat. “I can go back to the condo until they leave.” 

Brenda scoffed, “you’re going to crash on the couch? It’s not like you have a room there. I’m sure you don’t want to spend that much time with Rusty and his roommates. You own it but the boys have made it their own.” 

Sharon nodded. “I know. I could get a hotel room.”

“I don’t want you to leave.” Fritz frowned, taking Sharon’s hand. 

“Right? Maybe the three of us should get a hotel while my parents are here.” Brenda joked, “I think we’re missing the simple answer: _Don’t_ leave. Stay. This is _your_ home, not my parents’.”

“I don’t want to put you in an undesirable situation with your parents.” Sharon insisted. 

“The only undesirable situation is not waking up with _both_ of the people that I love.”

Fritz nodded his agreement, “we’re all in this together.”

Sharon didn’t have the words for how touched she always was by Fritz and Brenda. Her only other really significant relationship had been with Jackson and it was never one for all and all for one with him. Jackson always took the path of least resistance – which often entailed lying through his teeth if it made his life easier. When Jackson did something to make his life easier It invariably made Sharon’s harder. It was just something she’d come to expect. Brenda certainly had her selfish tendencies but she was always generous when it counted. Sharon didn’t take that for granted and she always appreciated. 

**

There really wasn’t a game plan. They’d half talked about how to handle Brenda’s parents but always ended up getting distracted. 

On Friday, Fritz went to the airport to pick up the Johnsons and Brenda and Sharon tidied up and cooked dinner. Brenda didn’t enjoy cooking as a general rule but she got an undeniable joy out of being Sharon’s kitchen helper. And Sharon often busied herself with mundane tasks when she was nervous.

Fritz opened the door in the kitchen and Clay and Willie Rae spilled in, excitedly greeting their daughter and then Sharon. Willie Rae held Sharon’s arms. “This kitchen smells amazing. I can’t imagine it had anything it had anything to with Brenda Leigh.” She teased. 

“Well, very little.” Sharon said with a smile and a wink at Brenda. 

At dinner the trio let Clay and Willie Rae do most of the talking. They enthused about Brenda’s brothers and what Charlie was up to these days. They talked about the new faucet that Clay installed, the ladies club brunch for breast cancer that Willie Rae helped organize and the upcoming peach season. Fritz, Brenda and Sharon had decided that after dinner would be better to save their news for after dinner. 

Once they’d all finished, Sharon stood to start clearing but Fritz stood faster. “I’ve got it, Sharon.”

“Thanks,” Sharon finished standing, “I’ll put on a pot of coffee.”

“Brenda Leigh, don’t you think you should make the coffee?” Willie Rae said pointedly. 

Brenda furrowed her brow. “Sharon’s really good at it. She always gets the ratios right.” 

“It’s no trouble.” Sharon smiled.

Once Sharon was in the kitchen, Willie Rae leaned in. “I just meant because Sharon’s your guest. It’s polite.” 

“Sharon’s not a - ” she stopped, realizing that she wasn’t ready. “Sharon doesn’t mind, mama.” 

Fritz joined Sharon and the Johnsons in the living room after he finished the dishes. He hesitated for a moment, realizing that he was about to sit with Sharon. He glanced at Brenda for guidance and Brenda took his hand so he sat with her. Sharon crossed her legs, angling away from them and Fritz hoped that Brenda would just come out with it before Sharon felt too put out – not to mention bedtime was fast approaching. 

Clay and Willie Rae were both friendly and interested in talking to Sharon but the pounding of her heart made it difficult to concentrate on their questions. 

“You’re not going to have to drive all the way back to the city tonight are you?” Clay asked genially. 

“Actually, daddy, Sharon lives here.” Brenda said quickly before she lost the nerve. 

“Oh. What an interesting set up.” Willie Rae nodded, though it was clear she didn’t know what that meant exactly. “We’re not putting you out of your room, are we?”

Sharon didn’t live in the room but it had become Sharon’s walk-in closet once it was apparent that the closet in the master bedroom was _not_ big enough for the three of them. Sharon was more than happy to move her ample wardrobe to the guest bedroom so that her power suits and designer dresses had a room unto themselves where they were much less likely to get ruffled or dropped onto the floor by someone – Brenda – not paying attention. 

The Johnsons were not displacing Sharon from her room but it would certainly _look_ like they were. 

“Don’t worry about me.” Sharon insisted.

**

“I know we talked about letting it happen naturally,” Fritz said in a soft voice as his wives brushed their teeth. “But maybe it’s time to make an actual plan.” 

Sharon spit out her toothpaste and rinsed her mouth with a cup of water before agreeing. “I think Fritz is right.”

“I know. I kept chickening out.” Brenda frowned around her toothbrush. 

Sharon pulled a length of floss from its container. “Fritz and I weren’t exactly climbing all over ourselves to help you.” 

“We should do it over breakfast. Just pull the bandaid off.” Fritz suggested. 

“What should I say exactly?” Brenda asked after rinsing and spitting. 

“How about… ‘you’ve always encouraged me to follow my heart and my heart has led me to Sharon?’”

“Sounds likes she’s leaving you for me.” Sharon shook her head. “How about something like: ‘love is an infite resource and Fritz and I have found love with Sharon?’”

“Daddy would call that ‘hippy dippy’… Maybe I just say ‘Fritz and I are in love with Sharon’ and then answer all their stupid and probably ignorant questions?”

“The direct approach. So out of character.” Sharon teased. 

“Well, you’ve expanded my horizons considerably.” Brenda leered, wrapping an arm around Sharon. 

“Your parents are right on the other side of this wall.” Sharon whispered with a smile.

“That would be one way to tell them.” Fritz teased, dropping his lips to Sharon’s shoulder. 

“You’re both terrible.” Sharon giggled softly. 

**

In the morning Sharon awoke first, like usual, but this morning she didn’t go out to the kitchen to make coffee. Once Fritz woke up they waited for Brenda so that the three of them would present a united front. 

Once the diva had awoken from her slumber, the three went into the kitchen. Fritz barely had time to get the coffee pot up and running before Clay and Willie Rae joined them. 

“I hope the couch wasn’t too uncomfortable for you, Sharon.” Clay said as he sat down at the table. 

Sharon opened her mouth to respond but closed it again and shrugged helplessly. 

“No, Sharon slept with us.” Brenda said and everybody froze. Brenda continued, “Sharon sleeps with us every night.” 

Willie Rae frowned, “that’s not funny, Brenda Leigh.” 

“No, it isn’t. It’s not a joke.” Brenda took Sharon’s hand. “Fritz and I love Sharon very much.” 

Clay stood abruptly and moved towards Fritz who backed up. “If you think I’m going to just let you take advantage of my little girl - ”

“Daddy, _stop_.” Brenda stood between the two men. “No one is being taken advantage of. We just… have a non-conventional arrangement.” 

“Why… are you not in love with Fritz anymore?” Willie Rae frowned. 

“Of course I am. Maybe even more so than before. And I’m also in love with Sharon and Sharon is in love with the both of us.” 

“But you and Fritz are _married_. Why are you messing around like this?” Clay demanded. 

Fritz heard the backdoor latch and he turned to confirm what he suspected. “Brenda…”

Brenda, too, turned to see that Sharon had slipped out. Brenda scowled and focused on her parents. “How _dare_ you come into Sharon’s home and make her feel bad?”

“Brenda Leigh!” Willie Rae scolded. 

“No, mama. That’s so rude of the two of you. Sharon’s already very sensitive to feeling like she’s an add-on. That was so uncalled for.” Brenda headed out the backdoor after Sharon, slamming the door for good measure. 

Clay and Willie Rae jumped at the sound and looked to Fritz in shock; he'd never heard her stand up to her parents like that. After a moment of awkward slice the coffee pot beeped. 

“Coffee?” Fritz asked distractedly, picking up the carafe from the burner. 

Brenda knew that Sharon couldn’t have gone too far because she was still in her pyjamas. She found her sitting on the decorative rocks on the side of the house. 

Sharon wiped her eyes and looked away. “I’m sorry.” 

Brenda sat down next to Sharon and wrapped her arms around her. Sharon folded into Brenda. “No, I’m sorry.” She kissed Sharon’s temple. “My parents are being jerks.” 

“I shouldn’t be surprised. I kind of expected that kind of reaction. It’s not too late for me to go to a hotel until they leave.” 

“ _This_ is your home. If my parents have a problem with our relationship then they’re the ones who’re goin’ to be goin’ to a hotel. I care so much more about you being happy than making them comfortable.” 

“I love you.” Sharon whispered. 

“I love you too.” Brenda cupped her cheek and tilted her head so that she could see her eyes. “You’re perfect and you complete our triple. Nothing and no one is ever going to come between us. That includes my parents.” 

“You and Fritz are the best things that ever happened to me.” Sharon rubbed her eyes. 

“Let’s go inside. These little pebbles are doing a number on my ass.” 

Sharon laughed, “okay.” 

The two women returned to the kitchen. Fritz was seated at the table with a cup of coffee but Clay and Willie Rae were nowhere in sight. Brenda furrowed her brow questioningly. 

“They went to the guestroom.” 

“Probably packing.” Brenda shrugged. “Whatever. If they want to be like that, it’s on them.” 

Sharon grabbed her ‘World’s Best Mom’ mug that Ricky had bought for her when he was nine down from the shelf. She picked the carafe up and her hand shook and she set it back down with a sigh. 

Fritz put an arm around her waist. “Everything will be okay.” 

“Thanks.” Sharon leaned up and kissed his cheek and he pressed one to her forehead. 

“Should I start breakfast?” Brenda asked. 

“What are you going to cook? Poptarts?”

“Hey, don’t knock Poptarts.” Brenda grinned, “there’s been a night or two when in search of a midnight snack you came back with Poptarts yourself.”

“Yeah, sure, for quick energy.” 

Fritz laughed and kissed Sharon and Brenda in turn, “I’ll make pancakes. Why don’t you two relax?”

“Thanks.” Sharon picked up her mug again and this time filled it with coffee and sat down with Brenda at the table. “Are you nervous about your parents?”

“No. I feel relieved.” Brenda admitted, “the hard part is over. If they have a problem, it’s out of my hands.” 

They could hear the door to the guestroom open and Sharon whispered into her coffee. “Speaking of.” 

“You’re all here.” Clay stated as he entered. “We have something we’d like to say to y’all.” 

“We may not understand exactly what’s going on here.” Willie Rae sighed, “but, Brenda Leigh, your happiness is what matters to us. If you’re happy then that’s good enough for us.” 

“And we’re gaining a daughter-in-law, right?” Clay gave Sharon a pat on the shoulder. 

“Great!” Brenda beamed, “so let’s plan to do something today, all five of us.” 

“I think that sounds nice.” Willie Rae agreed.


End file.
